Cynique

True. Blaxploitation should be kept in perspective. In the process of caricaturizing a certain black sub-culture, Whites a/k/a honkies were cast as buffoons and bad guys in these pictures while black characters were cool dudes who always outwitted their aversaries, and got the girl. Yes, the black women were tough and sassy but these facades concealed their tender hearts. Blacks got to play the good guys in these films and they didn't have to wear white hats; that was left to villainous pimps and their outrageous outfits. People go to the movies to be entertained and diverted from the harsh realities of life. Back then, Blacks needed a respite from the gloom and doom involved in struggling to acquire the equality that enabled a wholesome lifestyle. Munching pop corn and gulping a coke in a dark theater, they could live vicariously through super heroes who always came out on top. Maybe next time they'd return to earth and buy a ticket to see some sentimental little tale about black folks celebrating little triumphs over their harsh existences. But until then...I 'm gonna git you, Sucka! Right on!

I lived through the Witch hunting era of J.Edgar Hoover who was the Devil Incarnate, a vicious abuser of his power. My recollections if this period have to do with the mentality and attitude of the general black population of which I and my contemporaries were typical of. The Communist Party never really made great inroads into the ranks of the black masses. Like everybody else, black folks were brainwashed by "Red Scare" propaganda into thinking that godless Communism was evil and not the answer to racism. Moreover, the Communist cause was not helped by the unwillingness of its paternalistic leaders to share their authority with black converts. But Hoover was obsessed with the threat of Communism. Similarly, the Black Panthers never captured the support of mainstream Blacks because they were too militant; black people loved the romanticized sinister image and revolutionary rhetoric of the Panthers but weren't convinced the United States government could be overthrown. The greatest accomplishment of the Panthers was that they scared the hell out of Hoover who overestimated their influence and regarded them as a real threat. Black people really loved Malcom X for standing up to white America and tellin' it like it was but they did not flock to the Black Muslim movment in great numbers. The austere Islamic lifestyle with its restrictions required too many sacrifices. "Negroes" also could not bring themselves to believe that all whites were "blue-eyed devils". But once again, the fanatical Hoover harbored great fear of this group and its leaders who he was determined to destroy.. Martin Luther King was the true messiah of most Blacks. They believed in him and were inspired to follow him and his nonviolence strategies. This really unnerved Hoover and, pervert that he was, he became a voyeur of King's sex escapades, which were fodder for black mail. To me, the most amazing thing about those times, was the loyalty and patriotism exhibited by the black majority. They never gave up on democracy and the idea that America was their country, too, and that with help from white people of good will, they would overcome. The reward for their faithfulness was the insidious campaign on the part of an arm of the government determined to bring about the devastation of America's black community. Today, black hope is comparable to the "raisin in the sun" metaphor of poet Langston Hughes.

Thanks a lot, Guys! I can't tell you how great it is to "get by with a little help from my friends"! I'm very grateful for your support and expertise. I'm also honored to be included in the networking that you 2 are creating for the very commendable purpose of showcasing black authors! I consider myself very fortunate at this stage of my life to have my indifference transformed by the assistance of 2 dynamic young black men. You are shining examples of the best our race has to offer - its hope for the future. You rock! Luv ya! BTW, I have tweaked my bio to correct the oversight of not mentioning my affiliation with AALBC. Also, I didn't realize the book was on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I will add this info to my web page.

Well, Chris, I trust you and I don't think I have anything to lose. For some reason I'm just not inspired enough to get myself together enough to promote this book so I need somebody to push me. Lulu said it will also be available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble in 6 to 8 weeks. That was about a month ago and I've just kinda put things on hold. I don't have a problem with your offer as long as I can just keep on doing what I do when I want to do it. I suffer from writer's block and a lot of times, I don't have anything to say. I tend to feed on other people's posts. I'm assuming hooking up with you will not infringe on my affiliation with Troy so, OK.

As usual, all of this is going over my head, Troy and Chris, however, reconsidering the advice of you 2, I recently decided to check out all the offers on line inviting people to create their own web page on a 30-day free trial basis with the option to maintain the domain for a minimal monthly fee. Since it didn't seem to require a lot of computer literacy I took on this do-it-youself project. I liked the creativity and ingenuity it called for and it was fun. I have not posted the url anywhere else because things are still in the experimental stage. I'd appreciate your taking at look at it and giving me some input, please. Too generic? http://conniediversbradley.simplesite.com

Call me old and cynical - because that's what I am. I'm beginning to think black folks should stop worrying about stereotypes. It's a waste of time. And our accusing white people of stereotyping us is an example of us stereotyping white people. In one-on-one contacts with white people, intelligent ones will judge a black person as an individual. They will see our good qualities and in many cases be threatened by them. But in a dog-eat-dog world, everybody is threatened by those of any race with whom they are in competition. White folks do each other in! Americans need look no further than the highest office in the land to see a black family that defies stereotypes. Republicans are frustrated with Obama because they can't stereotype him. in show business, stereotyping is as much about reality as about race.The white characters in EMPIRE are also stereoptyped as demonstrated by the blatant caricature of a loud, pushy. female Jewish PR agent, and the white wife "going down" on her black husband. Let's face it. Squeaky clean middle class Blacks are boring and have to be cast in ludicrous sit-coms that operate on a one-joke premise. We're just like stupid white folks, only we're black. Gritty, larger than life black characters are provocative. "Orange Is The New Black" is more compelling than "Black-ish". That's just the way it goes. In the real world, you can't escape the burden of your race and you can't bend other Blacks to your will. They gonna do what they do. You can, however, feather your own nest and lead a tolerable life and when it comes to white people, you can plod along, telling yourself that "those who care don't count, and those who count don't care". You can also do like I do. Just utter the very liberating phrase that consists of 2 powerful words. Fuck it. IMO.

Are you 2 talking about the same Dexter???? LOL Troy, I think you can still catch reruns of "Leave it to Beaver" and Mayberry RFD to satisfy your wholesomeness "Jones". Over-dosing on bloody violence can be avoided by not watching the shows that are saturated with this gore. As for me, I don't have much of an appetite for saccharin programs oozing with pap. I like what's edgy and bizarre although I don't dig most reality shows, especially the ones featuring a bunch of bickering ditzy housewives. I like some of the sit-coms that are brilliantly written like "The BIg Bang Theory", too. Laughter is good medicine. I am also a fan of all the true crime shows like Dateline and 48 hours and the ID cable channel series. America, itself, has strayed from its puritanical values. It likes to think of itself as a civilized god-fearing country full of great integrity. Not. This was demonstrated when certain lawmakers tried to shame the CIA for brutally torturing political prisoners. Most Amercans responded with a silent approval of guys like Dick Cheney showing no mercy to our perceived enemies. The current box office blockbuster "American Sniper" portraying the callous Navy Seal who was proud of having picked off hundreds of suspicious Iraqi and Afghanistan civilians during his tour of duty has sparked a controversy with the few who think this guy is really a psychopathic coward, being shouted down by those who think he should be honored for efficiently doing what he was trained to do. Everybody in between is apathetic. At all levels of our society, the "nice guys finish last" mentality prevails. How many sports fans are outraged over the accusations that the Seattle Seahawks may have deflated footballs to give themselves an advantage in the super bowl playoffs? This news elicits little more than cynical chuckles from the vast majority of fans. Internationally, Americans are not the good guys and at home average citizens are prone to do anything they think they can get away with. It's a sign of the times. The Christian pope may have become a super star and is refereeing a fight between Allah and Abraham but Satan is the real winner. Lord have mercy.

I've watched EMPIRE from the beginning and find it very good escape entertainment. It is well produced, well cast and an authentic look at the cut-throat recording industry as it applies to the hip-hop world. The plot is a little implausible and clogged with stereotypes but, hey, this is network TV, not PBS. A series created by "The Butler" director Lee Daniels and scored byTimbaland can't be all bad. The story line even has a message and the family dynamics resonate with Shakespearean overtones. I consider myself, a discriminating TV watcher, and I give EMPIRE its props. It's like "GLEE", in its exploring of new territory with its effortless infusion of brief musical "videos" into the flow of the story. It also benefits from not taking itself too seriously. BTW, there is a world of difference between prime-time Fox TV programming and "Faux" News on Cable which is politcized like MSNBC and CNN. (The local Fox affiliate in Chicago is no worse or better than NBC, ABC, or CBS when it comes to the typical shows it airs, which include American Idol, The Simpsons, NFL games.)

I'm still pondering whether or not "being black sucks" is a statement that coincides with my sentiments. I can say that I've never fantacized about being white. I have, however, marvelled at how much easier things are for white people. Yet, I've always been turned off by Blacks who morph into a corny persona, sucking up to and "acting white" . And when I say "acting white", I don't mean speaking Standard English or getting good grades in school. There's nothing more impressive to me than smart, articulate, black people who don't sacrifice their idenity and who when they speak, you detect from the subtle inflections and hip cadence of their voices that they are black. I'll admit that niggas do disgust and embarassment me. But I can't escape the fact that no matter what our rank in life is, there is a common bond wherein when in the company of clueless, racist Whites, a simple, sometimes amused exchange of looks between 2 black people, speaks volumes, and is all it takes to remind us of the history we share. I don't really think I want to be white. When it comes to swag and style, black folks set the pace. We are both hot and cool. I am, who I am. What I want to be is the best embodiment of what makes my people so extraordinarily unique.

In the first place, Chris, my comments weren't a rant. A lot of them were said with tongue-in-cheek. I was not necessasrily expressing angry opinions so much as I was making cynical observations that were a reflection of what "the word" is on the internet circuit. And I find it odd that while racism is implicit in all you have been accusing the media and the entertainment business of being gulity of, you suddenly flip the script and defend the Oscar "snow job". And to add insult to injury, you chide people who are not satisfied with crumbs from the table even as you accuse them of being crabs in a barrel. Being Black not only sucks, it vacillates. As for the tired ol subject of Bill Cosby, why don't you just admit that you are "on his side" instead of tap dancing around the issue? You don't owe anybody an apology or rationale as to why you think he is being railroaded. I have, after all, admitted that I think he's guilty simply because he looks like a frog and gets on my nerves. And, yes, you are incorrect about Hattie McDaniel. She was allowed at the Oscar ceremonies, occupying a seat in the back of the ballroom. (slavery had ended by 1939.) When she came forward to claim her best suppporting actress award for "Gone With The Wind", in her tearful acceptance speech, she humbly thanked The Academy for the honor, adding that she would always try to be a "credit to my race". Finally, you might consider that the intent of anybody who refers to herself as a "pop culture vulture" is to pick the bones of frivolity. Like This Unlike

Further confirming my belief that the tide has turned and white people no longer feel the obligation to be politically correct when it comes to the black race, the annoucement of the nominees for the highest honor the movie industry bestows on its finest, snubbed all of the worthy candidates of color. Or as the social media captioned this blatant oversight: the Oscars have gone white. Ava DuVernay, the black female director of "Selma" and David Oyelowo, the actor portraying MLK in this film, were passed over by the Academy Awards committee, their worthy performances left unrecognized. The trickle down rejection of racial equality that has its origins in the disrespect shown a black president and the subsequent disregard for young black lives is now rearing its ugly head in other areas. Even liberal Hollywood is showing its true colors. In the TV world, however, angry overbearing black women continue to fill the roles white producers like to cast them in, as Viola Davis, the belligerant ruthless defense attorney in the series "How To Get Away With Murder", was among the nominees for the less prestigious trophies being doled out as the awards season gets underway. Another recent addition to the strong black woman ranks is Jada Pinkett-Smith, who appears as a sassy, kick-ass, crime madam in "Gotham", a new TV show billed as a prequel to Bat Man. And this brings us to the premier of "Empire", starring Terrence Howard as a Rap star turned corporate mogul. It is an entertaining, well-produced show, centering around the recording industry, paying homage to style over substance, full of stereotypes and a contrived plot that includes a rather dated take on homophobia and the rationale for gangsta rap. And, you guessed it, starring as Howard's nemesis is his feisty ex-wife, Cookie, the ghetto fabulous personification of a black super bitch, who pops up in every scene venting her wrath at anyone who gets on her last nerve. Welcome to the club, Cookie, who is played by Taraji P. Henson. And the beat goes on. For those who've had their fill of Bill Cosby and the castigating of black men, black women deserve equal time. Yes, a few celebrities like Whoopi and Jill Scott and his TV wife, Phylicia Rashard have stepped forward to extol the Bill Cosby they know and love, but this has not been the sentiment expressed in the posts I've seen on my FaceBook circuit. Very few sistas have come to Cosby's defense. At the last meeting of my book club, whose 14 members are a broad crosssection of black females, we took a poll to see who was on Cosby's side, and I was a little surprised that no one was. Oh, well. Time for the pop culture vulture to return to her thorny nest.

It's not surprising that guys focus on the men victimized by false allegations of rape. But women deserve to have their case stated when it comes to a crime where the burden of proof is on them. Rape is a complicated and ambiguous act that's hard to confirm unless physical assault is involved. Ego-driven males think that "no" means "maybe". Females contend that "no" means "no". Because they are at a physical disadvantage when it comes to fending off an attacker who thinks she really wants sex, women often acquiese and just move on because they have no way of proving that they had sex against their will and they don't want the negative publicity that comes with reporting rape. Unless a man has suffered through a proctology exam, it's difficult for him to empathize with the trauma of having his body violated in the act of it being forcefully invaded. When this does happen to men, they are just as traumatized as women and just as reluctant to charge rape because of the shame associated with it. Women who falsely accuse a man of rape do this to save face or to exact revenge, Such devious conduct will always be a weapon in a woman's arsenal to punish men in the battle of the sexes. Even so, such tactics risk an unsympathetic backlash from anyone except Feminists with an agenda. And this brings us to the politics of rape. In this country it has always gone hand-in-hand with race. Black men, ever tempted by the forbidden fruit of white women, have historically paid a price for this. White men with their penis envy seize the opportunity to villainize black brutes who abuse their sexual prowess. To this day, this scenario is played out in many subtle and symbolic ways in many different situations, on many different levels. Having said all of this, I do have a problem with those women who think they can dress provocatively and put themselves in compromising positions. They believe that have a right to act anyway they choose without jeopardizing their virtue. But they are kidding themselves if they do not realize that on any given occasion in any given place, rape can occur. As for the role the media plays in all of this, news is about immediacy. And research can be highly-overrated because unless your dealng with the exactitude of math or an un-doctored photograph you can't trust sources, or anything that is documented and filtered through the subjectivity of corrupt human channels. (That's why i don't place any stock in the bible, because it was translated by a bunch of monks, drunk not only with power but with wine.) Furthermore, people believe what they want to believe. I am an example of that. I haven't been a fan of Bill Cosby for years. I find him extremely annoying. The truth is out there, but the whole truth requires an overview that few have access to.

If you're a habitual rapist, you perfect your MO. You don't committ your crime around witnesses. You isolate and prey on those who are helpless and you leave them paralized with the fear and shame that very often drives them into silence. And speaking of silence, there is an unwritten rule that the lackeys and hangers-on who surround high-profile offenders keep their mouths shut and look the other way. Other insiders don't want to get involved. I don't think Cosby is that unusual. This kind of thing goes on not only in the shady show biz world but in the military ranks and political circles and corporate work places where sexual harassment is perpetrated by those in authority. Sometimes power is a great aphrodisiac. Most of the time, it corrupts.

I don't agree with you on this subject, Chris. I am never surprised at the things that power and money and celebrity enable men to do. One of these things is to indugle the sexual perversions and fantasies and forbidden fruit that lurk in the darker side of their libidos, urges that every man experiences and would follow if they could get away with. It's the nature of the beast and because of who he was and is, Bill Cosby could get away with the behavior that put him in the company of such powerful men as John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton. The women currently coming forward to point the finger at Cosby are not randomly crawling out of the wood work but are emerging from a past where they actually crossed paths with and were in his company. It's not unusal for women to not report rape because it's hard to prove. Only when enboldened by their numbers are these victims motivated to speak out about the crime of rape that is just as much about control as it it about gratification. Inside sources say Cosby is a notorious control freak who throws his weight around. And even before he acquired his immense power, back in the 60's, during the free swingin' Playboy era he didn't have to be rich and powerful to take advantage of young women; just famous. And of course, he picked his victims, and did not try his antics on women who were anything other than vulnerable star struck non-entites or B-list acquaintances. He'd be a fool to display his lascivious side to females whose respect he wanted and needed. And as he grew in stature, so did his beliefs that he was entitled to have his way with women who he could dominate. Yes, Bill Cosby was responsible for bringing over-achieving, middleclass Blacks to the attention of American TV viewers and he got rich doing this. Being a philanthropist does not neutralize his being a lecher, and may simply have served to score points when it came to projecting a good image that would command the adulation and admiration that ego-centric men like him thrive on. He also alienated members of his own race by putting down lower class ones, chiding them for their low-life ghetto ways. This is an attitude that reeks with the "do-as-I-say-do, not-as-I-do" arrogance of someone who thinks he's above reproach. Is this a conspiracy to bring down a black man who wants to compete with Oprah by buying his own TV network? This whole controversy was, after all, triggered by an off-handed remark by a young, black comedian putting voice to persistent rumors about Cosby, and it was further fueled by a black woman who really had nothing to gain by revealing his misconduct toward her. But when all else fails, haul out the old "conspiracy" defense. And I will resort to the old "where there's smoke, there's fire" response. IMO, Bill Cosby is an idol with feet of clay. He is a flawed person. But to err is human and he really doesn't have to answer to anyone. I look at the picture of him being flashed all over the media and I don't see a face tempered with wisdom or mellowed with age. I see a demonic mask, etched with wrath over the idea that anyone would dare challenge his highly vaunted image. But what I think doesn't matter. He may have fallen from grace but in this society, integrity is a rare virtue.

My intent is not to compete with you, Chris. Or is it to recommend a "do-nothing-wait-and-see" strategy. It is simply to say that my "get-up-and-go" enthusiasm has "got-up-and gone". I am blase and world weary. To you I say: go for it!

You are right, Chris. Here's the thing, guys. There is something we all know about, and that's demographics. And what is plain to me is that I am not your demographic. Your target audience is aspiring, profit-driven writers who are, serious about their product and looking to find a formula to make what they write, sell. What you offer these aggressive ambitious people are a litany of facts and figures and helpful hints all couched in long articles replete with charts and statistics and research. The gist of what you promise is that by utilzing all of the data you have provided, combined with the investment of a lot of hard work and savvy, an author will be on the way to achieving the goal of being a best selling writer! The above does not coincide with my profile. I wish it did, but to be frank, I don't feel like starting a blog or creating a web page or reading long articles, or doing anything else that requires hard work. I am not hungry or driven. I just want a magic genie to appear and provide me with 3 wishes, one of which I would spend on making my little romantic suspense novel sell itself if I blink my eyes 3 times. The other 2 wishes would be that I could be 61 instead of 81 and that I would hit the lottery for millions of dollars.

So much of what you and Troy talk about, Chris, is technical jargon and shop talk and involves professional expertise that goes over my head. I rarely feel qualified to join in your discussions. Even after I read your long posts, I still don't know what you're talking about half the time... I do know that one has to be totally committed to a book after one puts it out there, and if you aren't dedicated to that and all that entails, then things won't happen. Hopefully my dedication will kick in once i've recovered from the cabin fever that's afflicting me as I hibernate in the winter doldrums brought on by the snow and sub-zero temperatures that are blanketing the midwest and freezing my motivation.

In his book about Aretha, David Ritz speaks about how Aretha has always made a practice of covering the hits of other artists in a thinly-disguised attempt to show them she can do it better. In some cases she was right but now that she's reached the point in her careeer where she can't negotiate those high notes anymore and has resorted to singing louder instead of better, going all off on the melody, she is just getting by on her reputation. Ritz and a lot of other Aretha-watchers have suggested that at this stage in her career she should just tone it down and start singing old jazz standards, accompanying herself on the piano, backed up with an intimate little trio consisting of a bassist and a drummer. Reading this observation is the latest book about herself is probably one of the things that set Aretha off and drove her to lash out.

I just finished reading, RESPECT, the newly released unauthorized biography of Aretha Franklin, - all 482 pages of it. It's by David Ritz who has written the bios of several other music legends such as Marvin Gaye, and Ray Charles. Ritz is a skilled writer and treats his subject not only with the objective eye of a journalist but with the subjective love of a devoted fan. His narrative is seamless, reader-friendly and, best of all, juicy with gossip. The reason why over the years my preferences for biographies and documententaries has usurped my interest in fiction, is because these works are about real people and, in the hands of the right author, are also about the times in which they lived. The zeitgeist of an era captured in print engrosses me because in many cases I am not learning about it, I am re-living it. Such is the case with the period when 72-year-old Aretha first burst upon the musical scene back in 1962, a historical time I remember well. Ms, Franklin's extraordinary life story reads like a Greek tragedy fraught with parental dysfunction, sibling rivilary, and spousal abuse. And at the center of it all is a headstrong, extremely complicated women, both the beneficiary and victim of her genius. A diva in the truest sense of the world she is vain, paranoid, jealous, and in an ongoing state of denial about her neurotic flaws. She is also generous and loving and forgiving and, of course, talented. Above all she is a survivor, still here when so many of her loved ones and contemporaries have passed on. Well past her prime, she is, nonetheless, Aretha, the Queen of Soul, a voice for the ages. This is a long book full of interviews and anecdotes, often redundant, but for fans of Aretha Franklin, it is well-worth the read because when it comes to chronicling the career of this music icon, the author has really done his homework.

Delano, is it because you possess some kind of psychic gift, that you think others do also??? Your cryptic little out of context messages pop up and I have to try and read your mind in order to figure out your frame of reference. Sometimes its like you sense a question and then answer it before it's asked... You seem to be a rather mercurial person. That's not meant to be an insult; just an observation.

HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYBODY. LIVE LONG AND PROSPER! MAY 2015 BE THE START OF BETTER THINGS TO COME! CYNIQUE

Yes, Troy, I got a little carried away with relegating "unity" to a never-never-land domaine because I was too focused on how elusive black unity is. White ethnicities can benefit from unity, but the white race doesn't need it to maintain their stability or dominance. Unity is, indeed, a very strong dynamic for any group because there is strength in numbers. The road block to unity is the ego. It's no small task trying to get aggressive ambitious individuals to join the team and put aside their personal goals for the greater good. Race is a burden to black people and unity ends up being a case of misery loving company.

If there was unity, Delano, neighborhood watches wouldn't be necessary. Criminals and community activists are opposing black forces. What do self love and economics have to do with unity? The self-love that motivates black people to indulge their tastes for the bling, which is not manufactured or sold by black companies, does not promote unity. And the interesting thing about those who come to this site is that they are not always united in their thinking. There is frequently debate. Like now; you and I obviously don't agree on the definition of unity. To me, unity means a coming together as a body of one to bring about a desired goal. What does it mean to you?

Hi Li-Li. good to hear from you! "Unity" is an abstract concept just like democracy and freedom and - even race. They are all theories that reality dissipates. What would be required to unify African Americans? For all of us to share common goals and work together to achieve them? As usual, we are expected to conform to demands that Whites are excused from. White people aren't unified but this doesn't hamper them. Other ethnicities in this country get ahead not because they are united but because they are independent and ambitious. Blacks achieve as individuals but the worst among us drags us down and the lack of jobs and education bring out the worst in us. Unless something is done to rein in the element among the Millenials who, because they have no respect for life or authority are killing each other off, the black race will continue to be mired in problems. Unity begins with the family unit which should be a matrix to prepare children to opt for the best life has to offer. But the black family, like the black race, is fractured. Unity would spawn the control that stems from groups organized to demand better schools, a key in upifting the race. When such power is acquired, however, corruption comes with it and diverts the funds that never trickle down to those who it need it most. I'm motivated to make all these observations because of what is happening in the typical urban environment of Chicago where not a week goes by when a young black person isn't senselessly murdered by other young blacks who'd just as soon kill someone as to look at them. During the holidays, marauding crowds of aimless black youngsters have caused mini riots in shopping malls and at Navy Pier, Chicago's Lake front entertainment complex. The black school superintendant earns an exorbitant salary and the public schools remain in dismal shape. The black aldermen and other politically-connected leaders are prominent among those constantly being exposed for using taxpayers money to feather their nests and finance their lavish lifestyles while doing little to serve their constituencies. And, of course, the tension between cops and Blacks is an ongoing situation, pitting irrational, unarmed perpetrators against panic-stricken, trigger-happy cops. Closer to home, I am totally dismayed by the things that my 23-year-old grandson who is my "street" contact, tells me about the kind of demeaning behavior young black inner city girls are engaging in, aided and abetted by FaceBook. They all seem to be desperate, loved-starved "thots". And too many of the dudes are fatalistic, adopting an "if I die, I die" attitude when it comes to the street violence. Saddest of all is that the ghetto sub-cuture of teen-age pregnancy and gang warfare perpetuates itself and this complicates things. I hate all those conservative black Republicans saying what their white counterparts want to hear, but I just wish black youngsters wouldn't make it so hard for me to defend them. As for black people seeking to get a piece of the pie via entrpreneurship and business, lotsa luck in this capitalistic country, controlled by the monopolistic fraternity of white corporate America. The rich are not interested in spreading the wealth unless it's to bribe senators and congressmen. I wish I could be optimistic. Black unity? As the year 2015 looms ahead, I will turn this hope over to the multitudes of religious black folk. Pray for it. Nothing else seems to help. Maybe Jesus will take pity of the most faithful among his diversified following and perform a miracle.

I didn't realize that you were a "publisher", Chris! And speaking of reviews, my book is a short, fast read, and available for a mere $4.99 as an e-Book. If you have the time - or inclination, I'd be interested in hearing your honest opinion of "The Only One" a critique that you would allow me to post on my Lulu site. Just a thought. I went the self publishing route because I wanted total control and didn't want to have to deal with editors whose priority would be to commercialize the book. I'm sure the book's length would've been considered too short, and its writing style parsed to the point that it would lose its flow and flavor.